Union of African States

formerly Ghana-Guinea Union, 1958-1962

Last modified: 2005-10-01 by antonio martins
Keywords: union of african states | stars: 2 (black) | stars: 3 (black) | star: 5 points (black) | ghana-guinea union |
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(Nov. 23rd, 1958 to May 1959)

• History and description

• International Organizations

History and description

On 23 November 1958 a Ghana-Guinea Union was formed with a flag like that of Ghana but with two black stars. In May 1959 it was announced that the Union would be renamed Union of African States with a flag like that of Ghana «with as many black stars as there were members». In April 1961 Mali joined this union, so the flag would have three stars from then.
Mark Sensen, 20 Jun 2000, quoting from [cra89i]

(after May 1959)

reconstruction!

According to French Larousse Great Encyclopedia (chapter Ghana), the Union des Etats africains was born in 1961 when Ghana chose to get closer with marxist Guinea and Mali. It is said that the Union was very short. I first thought it lasted until Nkrumah lost power in Ghana (February 1966: there was a coup while he was in Guinea, where Sekou Toure had named him “co-president”). But French Quid Encyclopedia says (chapter Guinea) that the project of Union Guinea/Ghana was born in November 1958, and that a project of Union Guinea/Ghana/Mali existed in December 1960. Well, if it was “very short”, I’d say the project was stopped in 1962, when Guinea decided to have (temporarly) more relationships with the United States and less with USSR. What is sure is that the flag has never had more than 3 stars! But how were they displayed: in "V"? a horizontal line?
Olivier Touzeau, 20 Jun 2000